This invention relates to method and apparatus for reshaping and straightening an incurvated toenail or a deformed toenail that has become ingrown.
An ingrown toenail is one in which one or both lateral margins of the nail become embedded in the soft tissues of the nail groove thus producing inflammation. The edge of the nail digs into the soft tissues and forms a saw-tooth cutting edge, which produces a callus, warty growth, fissure and infection.
There are many causes attributed to ingrown toenails including short and pointed shoes, high heels, short or tight stockings, improper trimming of the nails, and deformation of the nail such as is the case with an incurvated nail.
Surgical procedures with respect to ingrown toenails may take several different forms depending upon the severity of the condition, the degree of infection, etc. A partial procedure may be performed in which an incision is made in the toe, under local anesthesia, in order to excise a part of the nail and the entire inflamed area of the skin. In severe cases a radical procedure or complete removal of the nail is called for.
When a toenail shows a tendency to dig into the skin margin it has been known, in the prior art, to compel growth of the nail above the margin by inserting under the edge of the nail a wedge or other means (such as a blunt toothpick) in order to lift the nail. Alternately, it has been known to exert a force on the nail by positioning a hook under the nail by and thereafter applying a force to the hook in order to lift the nail.
The application of such prior art devices as wedges and hooks to the toenail in order to attempt to redirect the growth of the nail is, by necessity, quite painful to the patient. In most cases the patient doesn't recognize the need for treatment until such time as the lateral margins of the nail have started to embed themselves in the soft tissues of the nail groove producing inflammation. Therefore, the ability of the patient or the patient's doctor to redirect the growth of the nail at such time as the toe has become inflamed is somewhat limited without the patient encountering great pain.
This invention provides for apparatus and method for straightening or reshaping an incurvated nail through the application of an external force system to the nail in a manner that does not require the painful application of either a wedge or a hook to the nail in order to redirect the growth thereof. This invention makes it possible to apply an external force system to the nail either before or at such time as the toe of the patient has become tender and without the pain normally associated with apparatus and methods known to the prior art.